Human Rights activists begin week long peaceful protest in Kisumu
By Dickson Odhiambo
March 4, 2020
Human Rights activists
begin week long peaceful protest in Kisumu
A number of human rights activists in Kisumu County have today
begun their one week long peaceful protests against the deteriorating state of
Kisumu County which they say is because of alleged corruption.
The Human Rights activists joined by a section of aggrieved
citizens have converged at the Kisumu City’s Central Square where they staged a
peaceful protest next to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission’s Western
Kenya Regional offices.
Addressing the press during the protest, the Activists led
by Boniface Ogutu Akatch said they are peacefully protesting the endless
inaction state institutions hosted in Kisumu City like Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission {EACC}, Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Commission
on Administration of Justice {Ombudsman}.
Chanting songs while dancing and carrying placards, the
human rights activists took issues with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption
Commission while wanting to know the status of the cases of corruption that
they have been endlessly investigating without prosecuting the perpetrators in
court.
Ogutu who led the team says they have been visiting the
offices of EACC Western Kenya Regional offices while presenting their petitions
in regard to cases of corruption but there is nothing coming out from the
anti-graft body.
The scenario made the Kisumu County Police Commander Ranson
Lolmodon who came and addressed the peaceful protestors after which he went to
the EACC offices and come out with the EACC Deputy Regional head of Western Kenya
regional EACC office Chibole Aura.
“A lot of cases have been brought to you since you came into
this office but we have not seen any progress. This office has also carried out
several raids to offices in Kisumu County but we have seen closure to these
cases,” they told the EACC Officer.
They says there are a lot of new cases they want to report to
the office but they can’t do so until they get the status report of the cases
reported there so far.
They also had chains and padlocks which they came to hand over
to the EACC office for its closure due to alleged failure in tackling the cases
of corruption in Kisumu County.
“Give us the status of these cases so that we know. If they can’t
be taken to court of cleared, we have bought these padlocks to you so that you
lock this office then pack and leave because there is nothing this office is
doing here,” they added.
EACC Deputy Regional head of EACC Western Kenya regional office
Chibole Aura who addressed them and the media wanted the peaceful protestors to
cite specific cases so that they get answers where necessary.
He urged them to go back to the EACC Western Kenya Regional
offices with written petitions on the cases they want to get clarity on.
“Please give me a petition on specific cases so that we give
you the answers about them,” Aura says.
The Human Rights Activists has promised to go back to the
EACC Regional offices so as to get the status of the cases the demand to know
from the ant-graft body.
They yesterday notified the police through a letter on their intention to peaceful protest and some anti-riot police came to watch how they were doing their peaceful protest.
They yesterday notified the police through a letter on their intention to peaceful protest and some anti-riot police came to watch how they were doing their peaceful protest.
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